Meaning
What does Say Less mean?
Say less refers to a widely spread colloquial phrase, used to signify understanding of a subject, and to express to the other half that there is no need to elaborate further.
It may also be used in a rude manner, ordering someone to stop speaking, like in the memes, Silence Boomer or Silence, Liberal.
Origin
What's the origin of Say Less?
“Say less” started emerging as a shorter alternative to the now archaic colloquialism: Say no more, known from the popular meme series.
Many attribute this change to the rise of texting in the late 90’s and early 2000’s.
A significant contributor to the shift from Say no more to “Say less” was the increasing popularity of Twitter in the late 2000’s.
In the years following the launch of the social media site, the use of the titular phrase spiked, leading to the rapid spread of “Say less”.
Spread & Usage
How did Say Less spread?
“Say less” became widely popular by the early 2010’s, appearing in countless social media sites and forums, with the most significant being Twitter, Facebook, Reddit and 4chan.
It was first defined on Urban Dictionary on April 23rd, 2011, with several other explanations having been born since.
Today, people use the expression both sincerely as a way to express understanding, sparing their conversation partner from talking excessively, while it may also be used to shut someone annoying up.
External resources
- Languagelog.edu – Say less